Improvement in watch-plates



E. cHAPlN'.

. Watch-Plates.

N0 ]57,153' Patented Nov. 24, 1874.`

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THE GRAPHIC C0V PHOTD'LITNJQXf 4| PARK PLADEILY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARL CHAPIN, 0F FREEBORT, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATCH-PLATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157.153, dated November24,1874; application filed April 27, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL GHA'PIN, of Freeport, in the county ofStephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vatch-Plates; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

The object of my invention is to improve, simplify, and chcapen theconstruction of watches; and to this end the nature of my inventionconsists more particularly iu the construction and arrangement ot' theupper plate and barrel-bridge of a watch, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and opera-tion, refer'- ring tothe annexed drawing, whichforms a part of this speeilication, and in which- Figure l is a sideelevation of a watch embodying my invention, and with the dust-ringattached. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the upper plate. Fig. 3 is a topview of the same. Fig'. 4. is a similar view with the barrel-bridgeremoved. Fig. 5 is a top view of the barrelbridge detached. Fig. 6 is aside view of the barrel-bridge with the barrel attached. Fig. 7 is a.side view of the upper plate with the bridge removed.

A represents the bottom plate, usually called the pillar-plate. B is theupper plate 5 U, the barrel-bridge; D, the dust-ring, E, thebalance-wheel bridge; and F, the mainsprin gbarrel. a is thewinding-arbor; b, the ratchetwheel, c, a projection on the barrel-bridgecovering the opening under the balance-wheel d, screws, for connectingthe ratchet-wheel and barrel together 5 e, the portion ofthe upper platecut away to reduce the thickness 5 f, recess in the upper plate for thebalancewheel; g, a ledge for the reception of the bridge; Il',projections on the bridge iitting over the ledge g. lis thebalance-wheel; m, the regulator 5 n n', projections or pillars, o,screws for securin g the dust-ring. The plate Ay is made of the usualform. The upper plate, B, is made double the usual thickness, and turnedoff at e so as to t an ordinary case, when used with pillars. I prefer,however, to make it of quarter-inch brass, and turn it ont on the underside to make room for the train, leaving the projections a n to take theplace of the ordinary pillars. At the side of this plate an opening ismade for the reception of the mainspring barrel, which opening isprovided with a ledge, g, as shown in Fig. 4. The bridge G is made tofit this opening, and is provided with projections h', fitting onto theledge g, so as to present a smooth upper surface, and also to bring thelower surface ofthe bridge ona line with the lower surface of the plate.The recess f for the balance-wheel is cut partly in the upper plate, andpartly in the bridge, as shown in Fig. 3.

By this mode of making and connecting the bridge, the opening, which hasheretofore been left in all full-plate watches between the bridge andplate, is perfectly closed, and the bridge more securely attached thanhas been heretofore done. By this means I am also enabled to locate thebalance-wheel bridge partly over the barrel-bridge, so as to put it inproper radial line.

The under side of the bridge C is milled ont or recessed so as to formin part a receptacle for the barrel, but leaving sufficient metal on theouter edge to preserve the continuity of the line, and so as not torequire any additional device to close the openin g at that point wherethe dust-ring l) is applied. This dustring is held in place by means ofthe screws O, in such a manner that the screws may be run in to lift thedust-ring over their heads; and when the ring is put back in place, thescrews are run suiliciently far to engage therewith, by which means thedust-ring may be detached without removing' the screws from the watch.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The barrel-bridge C, provided with projections 7L and c, incombination with the plate B, provided with the ledge g, substantiallyas specified.

2. The plate B, made of sufficient thickness to allow it to be recessedat f to receive the barrel-bridge, nud turned down at e to reduce it tothe standard thickness at the edge, substantially as described, and forthe purposes specified.

3. The combination of the phi-te B, having ledge g,ai1d bridge C, havingprojection h, constructed and arranged to form zn continuons line at theunder face in a three-quarter plate Watch, with the dust-ring D,substantially as described.

4. The barrel-bridge provided with the extension or projection c forcovering the opening,` between the top plate and the bridge,substantially as specified.

EARL CHAPIN.

Witnesses:

E. A. VEST, O. W. BOND.

